Coupling for hay-loaders.



J. DAIN.

CGUPLING FOR HAY LOIXDERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1913.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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UNITED STATES ij'ATENT OFFICE.

`JOSEPH DAIN, OF MOLINIE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 DAIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF IOWA, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

COUPLING FOR HAY-LOADERS.

T o all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH DAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Hay- Loaders, of which the following is a speelfication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Hay loaders are connected to the rear ends of wagons in order that they may be drawn over the ground behind the Wagons, such loaders acting to fill the wagons with hay gathered from the ground as the wagon andloader move. Ordinarily a loader is connected to a Wagon by some coupling means that requires the driver` or other attendant to crawl beneath the wagon or in between the wagon and loader and manipulate the coupling devices by hand to connect or disconnect the wagon and loader. `Such a method of coupling and uncoupling is, at

times, dangerous for if, while the man is so engaged, the team should start the man is liable to be injured, as will be well understood. Attempts have been made to provide coupling devices for connecting loaders to wagons whereby this danger could be avoided but they have not been wholly satisfactor Iit7 is the object of my invention to provide an improved coupling device of simple construction whereby the wagon to which a loader is to be connected can be backed up to a hay-loader and the two be automatically connected together, and which can be readily opened bythe driver or attendant while on the loaded wagon so that the wagon is disconnected or freed from they loader as it is moved away by the team. This object I accomplish by the means illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described. That Which I believe to be new will be set fort in the claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a portion of the front of a hayloader and a portion of the rear of a hayrack and showing the two devices connected by my improved coupling means; Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of my improved coupling; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the coupling, the locking latch being shown in side elevation; and Flg. 4 is a vertical section at line 4-4 of Fig. l illustrating the friction Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 21, 1913.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

serial No. 775,012.

means employed for holding the draftbars of the hay-loader in raised position.

In the several iiguresof the drawings corresponding parts are indicated by like reference numerals.

5 indicates the axle of a hay-loader, which hay-loader may be of any usual construction. 6-6 are the wheels of the loader journaled on said axle 5.

7-7 are two draft-bars each attached at one end to the loader-axle 5 a short distance from one of the wheels 6, these bars being clamped to the axle by means hereinafter described so that they will normally be held in a raised position. As shown, these bars 7 extend diagonally forward and their forward ends are connected together by a suitable bracket 8 preferably made as a casting, which bracket comprises, as best shown in Fig. 2, two inclined side pieces 9-9, to each of which the forward end of one of the arms 7 is bolted. The bracket 8 is of such. width that the forward ends of the arms 7-7 are held a short distance apart, andv from the base of the bracket and in the space over the se arated ends of the arms 7 7, rise two pai-al el vertical walls 10-10 between which is located a latch 11 pivoted in place by a bolt 12 extending through the latch and the said walls 10-10. 'The front edge of the latch issharply beveled` or inclined downward and rearward as indicated at 13, so that it can be raised up automatically as hereinafter set forth.

14 indicates the hook portion of the latch and 15, indicates an upwardly extending arm at the forward end ofthe latch.

16-17 `indicate upper and lower forwardly-projectilno jaws at the front end of the bracket 8, suoli jaws diverging from each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and thus presentin a wide mouth to receive a coupling lin t ring or bail, which coupling member when received in such mouthwill be properly directed by the inclined face of one or the other of the jaws 16-17 against the beveled or inclined face 13 of the latch 11. In the drawing, such coupling member is a bail 18 which is shown as suitably attached to a rear cross-bar 19 of a wagonrack, but it of course may be attached other wise to a wagon if desired. I deem it best to make the wagon member of the coupling in the form of a bail, as lshown, and to give veo to the centralportion of the baila bend to provide a small loop, as 20, in order that the loader will then be compelled to follow directly behind and substantially in. the 'tracks of the wagon much better when making a turn, as at the end of a eld.

Referring again'to the diagonal draft-4 bars 7-7, it is essential to the successful and auto-matic coupling together of the wagon and loader thatfthe said draft-bars be held raised to a proper height to have the bail 18 enter between the jaws 16,-17, and to that end ll provide means for so holding such bars. Such means comprisejn the construction shown, a two-partelampQl embracing each of the hubs 25 at the inner ends of the draft-bars 7-7 through which hubs passes the axle 5. The two members of each clamp 21 are connected by means such as a bolt 2S to the lower end of a standard or upright 29, which, as shown and described in my Patent, No. 901.074. dated October 13, 1908., acts as a support for the upper end of the hay-loader frame. rlhrough the lower ends of these clamp members passes a bolt 22 on which isvmounted an expansible coiled springl 23 that at one end bears against one of the clamp members and at its other end bears against a nut 24 screwed upon said rod. The frictional binding of the clamps 21 on the hubs 25 can be regulated by adjusting the nuts, as will be understood.,

26 indicates a flexible connection, which may be a rope, chain or cable, fastened to the latch-arm l5, such connection in lthe construction shown being secured to said arm through a link 27. Such connection is to be long enough to allow it to extend up along one side of the loader where it can be reached by the attendant on the wagon, so that he can, by pulling on' it, raise the latch to allow the disengagement of the baill 18 therefrom It will be understood that the latch is n0rmally in its lowered position, as seen in Fig. 3, and when it is desired to connect the loader to a wagon, the wagon is backed up toward the front end of the loader and the bail 18 extending out from the rear of the wagon will be caused to enter between the diverging jaws 16-17, and, by the inclined face of one of such jaws, will be directed against the rearwardly-inclined front edge 13 of th latch.: As the pressure of the bail against such inclined edge continues the latch will be forced up suiiciently to permit the bail to pass the hook portion 14, and as Solon as that takes place the latch drops by gravity and the bail is effectively retained by the hook against withdrawal, thereby rmly coupling the loader and wagon together. When a sufficient load or" hay has been piled upon the wagon by the loader the uncoupling of the loader from the wagon is vout of proper position relatively to each merges readily accomplished by a pull by the at,- tendant, who is on the load, onv the conne@ tion 26 and the starting of the team. As soon as the wagon moves the pull on the connection is released by the attendant and the latch drops, and will remain in positio-n to again be coupled in the manner described to another wagon. lt will be understood that the draft-bars 7-7 on the loader are held. elevated by the friction means described so that the coupling device at their forward ends is always presented at substantially the right height to receive the bail 1 8 on a. wagon, the wide divergence of the inclined jaws 16-17 insuring the proper entrance between them of the bail and compensating for any irregularity in the surface of the ground, or other cause, that might tend to present the coupling parts other.

'lf he arrangement of the drafkbars 7-7, in the diagonal manner shown makes, with the axle to which they are fastened, a triangular frame of great strength and one peculiarly well adapted to withstand the shocks that are necessarily incident to the backing up of a wagon to effect an automatic coupling of such wagon with the loader.

`What l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. 'lfhe combination with a vehicle, and a pair of draft-bars connected therewith and converging toward their `forward ends, of means at the inner ends of said bars for engaging the axle of the vehicle, friction devices bearing upon said axle-engaging means and adapted to hold said draft-bars in operative position, and a coupling member atached tothe forward ends of said draftars.

2. rlFhe combination with a vehicle, and a draft device, connected therewith, of means carried by said draft device for engaging the axle of the vehicle, a friction device bearing upon said axles'engaging means and adapted to hold said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member attached to the forward part of said draft device.

3. The combination with a vehicle and a draft-device connected therewith, of means carriedby said draft-device for engaging the axle of the vehicle, a two-part friction device bearing upon said axle-engaging 120 means and adapted to hold said draft-device in operative position, said; friction device having two oppositely-located end portions spaced a vdistance apart, a spring for forcing said two ends toward each other t0 125 hold the two parts of the friction device in engagement with said axle-engaging means, and a coupling member attached to the forward part of said draft device.-

t. The combination with a vehicle and a draft-device connected therewith, of means carried by said draft-device, for engaging the axle of the vehicle, a two-part friction devicel bearing upon said axle-engaging means and adapted to hold said draft-device in operative position, said friction device having two oppositely-located ends spaced a distance apart, a bolt passing through Said ends, a spring held on said bolt and bearing against one of said ends to yieldingly hold the two parts of the friction device in engagement with said axle-engaging means, and a coupling member attached to the forward part of said draft-device.

5. The combination with a vehicle, and a draft device connected therewith, of means carried by said draft device for engaging the axle of the vehicle, a supporting standard for the vehicle frame, a friction device at the lower end of said standard and bearing upon the said axle-engaging means to hold said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member attached to the forward end of said draft device.

6. The combination with a vehicle, and a draft device connected with the axle thereof,

of friction means surrounding the axle for Aholding said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member attached tothe forward part of said draft device.

7. The combination with a vehicle, and a draft device connected with the a'xle thereof, of a standard extending upward from the said axle, friction means connected with said standard for holding said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member attached to the forward part of said draft device.

8. The combination with a vehicle and a movable draft device connected with the axle thereof, of a supporting standard for the vehicle frame, friction means interposed between the draft device and 4the standard and secured to one of said parts and having frictional engagement with the other part, said friction means being adapted to hold said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member at the forward part of said draft device.

9. The combination with a vehicle, and a draft device connected therewith, said 'draft device having` at its inner end a hub that surrounds the axle of the vehicle, of a standard extending upward from such axle, means connected with said standard and frictionally engaging said hub for holding said draft device in operative position, and a coupling member attached to the forward part of said draft device.

4 l0. The combination with a vehicle, and a draft device connected therewith, said draft device having at its inner end a hub that surrounds the axle of the vehicle, of a standard extending upward from such axle means connected with said standard and frictionally engaging said hub for holding said draft device in operative position, a spring for holding said means in contact with said hub, and a coupling member attached to the forward party of said draft device.

JOSEPH DAIN.

Witnesses:

BEn'rHA'iA. MAURER, W. G. DUFFIELD. 

